What is the probability of rolling a 7 with two dice?

Answer 1

The probability or rolling a 7 with one roll of a pair (2) dice is 0.166666.... We get this number by dividing 6 by 36 (or 1 by 6). Let's review what a probability is and then find out how we get the 6 and the 36.

We know that probabilities range from zero (0) to one (1), inclusive. A probability of 0 means that a given result cannot happen. Like rolling a 13 with one toss of a pair of dice. The largest number that can appear is 12, so rolling a 13 cannot be done. The probability of that happening is 0.

A probability of 1 means it must happen. Like rolling a number between 2 and 12, inclusive, with one roll of the dice. Rolling a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12, is something that must happen, so the probability of that is 1. All probabilities that something will happen will fall on or between 0 and 1. All of them. Some folks often interchange the term probability with "the odds" of something happening, and this might be the cause of some confusion. Now that we've reviewed probability, let's look at odds and see where the numbers come from.

There are 6 ways to make a 7 with two dice. They are 1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, and 6-1. And there are 36 (6 x 6) possible outcomes with a single roll of two dice. The odds of a 7 coming up are 6 in 36, or 1 in 6. As this is true, the probability of the 7 appearing will be the number of times the combination is possible (6) divided by the total possible combinations (36), which leads us to 6 divided by 36 or 1 divided by 6, or 0.166666....

Use the link to the Related question to see about the odds of rolling that 7 with two dice.